McAfee Firewall 3.0 by McAfee Software

Description

A firewall is a software designed to give protection to Internet-connected PCs from hacker assaults, and customers of prone PCs will have to put money into a just right one. Via a just right one, we don't imply McAfee Firewall 3.Zero. There's a wonderful safety software somewhere in this bundle, nevertheless it's buried deep underneath this utility's technical considerations, a horrific tech reinforce conundrum, and the embarrassing and completely unprofessional error in its documentation.

We examined McAfee Firewall in two configurations. The First consisted of a single Home Windows Ninety Eight SE pc linked instantly to a cable modem. For the opposite, we put in McAfee Firewall on a Windows Me LAPTOP that served as an Web-sharing gateway for a Community of 5 computers, enabling them to get admission to the Internet via a single cable modem connection.

The Former installation went neatly. McAfee Firewall 3.Zero installed uneventfully, detected the Internet connection, and triggered us to configure it to permit filtered Internet get right of entry to to quite a lot of applications. The latter, a More sophisticated atmosphere, completely baffled McAfee Firewall. It generated blunders instantly when first activated and completely blocked Internet get entry to for your complete Network.

Network Associates' technical make stronger line entreated us to discuss with a free Web Site. Given That our Web connection used to be damaged, we checked out the phone support choices. They were on hand–via a 900 number with a $2.Ninety Five per minute charge. We Can bear in mind the need for Network Buddies (and, in all equity, its rivals) to charge for beef up time, however in a case where the Web Site is inaccessible because of an organization's personal product, the company will have to present another.

We used our press credentials to get some solutions, and Network Associates certain us that the error we encountered were very rare. Then Again, the consultant couldn't appease our considerations with the tech enhance seize-22, nor may she guarantee us of a well timed option to any other drawback: parts of each the online and physical documentation had been bewilderingly cobbled from past variations of McAfee Firewall, which had a unique interface from Firewall Three.0. The medical doctors discuss with menus and dialogs that don't exist on this model, making them effectively unnecessary. That's unforgivable within the case of this kind of advanced, dynamically configurable product.

When it really works, McAfee Firewall Three.0 is a stable defend between your COMPUTER and the online at huge. It handed probably the most stringent security tests at Steve Gibson's Web Page (www.grc.com) with out a hiccup. Attending To that time wasn't definitely worth the hassle, although; until Community Mates irons out the kinks, we strongly recommend using a sophisticated, proven firewall akin to Norton Firewall or Zone Labs ZoneAlarm. –Joel Durham, Jr.

Systems

Home Windows NT, Mac, Linux, Unix, Windows Ninety Eight, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows Ninety Five